War widows said increasing because of war

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 March 2001, 22:19 GMT]
"Several young women live in the district, unable to come to a decision whether they are widows or not, as they do not know whether their missing husbands are dead or alive", said North-East Provincial Chief Secretary, Mr. G.Kirushnamoorthy, addressing a public meeting organized by the Provincial Ministry of Women Affairs at the Trincomalee Town Hall Thursday in connection with the International Women's Day.

Provincial Ministry Secretary S.Amirthalingam said the number of widows in the district increases because of the war. An official of the Trincomalee Women Welfare Organization told Tamilnet that over four thousand women in Trincomalee have become widows in some parts of the district because of the war.

The International Women's Day was observed in the Trincomalee district Thursday by several non-governmental organizations and the Northeast Provincial Ministry of Women Affairs.

The Trincomalee District Youth Development Aham organized prayers at Tamil temples and Christian churches in the town and its suburbs. A large number of women attended these prayers appealing for the fulfillment of the aspirations of the Tamil people.

An art exhibition was declared opened this morning at Trincomalee Methodist Girls College under the auspices of the Trincomalee District Youth Development Aham. Several drawings depicting the sufferings of women due to the ongoing war in the north and east were exhibited.

Students of three leading girls' schools in Trincomalee town this morning observed the International Women's Day by hoisting the Women's Flag. They were from St.Mary's Girls College, Sri Shanmuga Hindu Ladies College and the Methodist Girls College.

The Eastern Human Economic Development Organization in collaboration with the Trincomalee Women's Welfare Organization held a seminar Thursday for war widows in the district at the Social Service Center this morning to mark the day.

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A large number of war widows from all over the district attended the seminar. At the commencement of the seminar a war widow Ms Komathie Manikkarajah hoisted the Women's Flag (photo). The widows present at the seminar had lost their husbands in the ongoing war. The majority of them came from remote villages in the Muttur, in the southern parts of the district.

A procession was organised under the auspices of the World University Service Council (WUSC) in Trincomalee this morning to mark the International Women's Day.

Vavuniya
The International Women's day coordinating committee in Vavuniya organised a march through the Vavuniya with the slogan "let us go, let us go in freedom". Hundreds of school children in Vavuniya town joined the procession. The oppression of women, particularly by state terrorism, was depicted by Tamil theatre activists.

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Batticaloa
A large number of women took part in a meet in Korakallimadu, 26 kilometers north of Batticaloa Thursday, to mark the day. They held placards and banners demanding that the right of Tamil self determination should be recognised and that the north and east is the traditional homeland of the Tamil speaking people. The meet was organised by local NGOs led by Thadakam, a community service organisation in Korakallimadu.

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